Nail and washer feeder for button-mach i nes



(No Model.) y Y E. B. HAMILTON.v

NAIL AND WASHER TE-EDEH EoH BUTTON MACHINES. No. 889,648. Patented-Sept. 18,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR B. HAMILTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHlO.

NAlL AND WAS-,HER FEEDER FOR BUTTON-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patentv No. 389,648, dated September 18, 1888.

Application tiled March 5, 188B.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGARVB. HAMILTON, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Nail and Vasher Feeders for Shoe-Bntton-Fastening Machines, ofwhieh the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for taking and conveying the nails and 'washers separately from a common hopper, then passing the nails one at a time through the washers, and feeding the joined nails and washers to the machine ready for vfastening the buttons to the shoes.

Heretofore the work of joining the nails to the washers has been done by hand, and then the united nails and washers have been placed in along slotted tube and fed from that to the machine.

The object of my invention is vto obviate the slow and tedious work of preparing the nails and washers for the machine by hand and have thev machine perform this automatically, as well as other parts of the machinework, thus greatly facilitating the work ol' such machines. To accomplish this object I construct an attachment for shoe-buttonfastening machines substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of my device as seen in working order. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same.

'A is a hopper, which may be of any suitable form and dimensions, and provided with a vertical central partition, c, for holding nails in one side and Washers in the other. Through the bottom of the hopper and at both sides of the partition are made slots, into which are fitted to slide two plungers, B C, the bottom ofthe hopper being provided with depending guides or ways b b for the plungers to slide in. These plungers are designed to lii't, arrange, and start the nails and washers in their transfer from the hopper to the machine, and are to be operated by suitable connection with an operating-lever on the machine, the plungers having lugs c c, by which the connection can be made, and the hopper is to be supported bya bracket or arm on the machine.

From the hopper are projected two tubes,

vSerial No. 266,256.

(No model.)

E F, for conveying the nails and washers from the hopper. slightly twisted and bent to lead downward on an incline, so that the washers when they enter it will slide-downward by their own gravity. The other tube has a slot along its under side, and is also inclined to convey the nails downward.

The washers and nails are started in their course through the tubes in the following manner: The top edge ofthe plunger B is inclined and beveled, having a thin ledge at the lower edge of t-he said bevel to catch the edge vof the washers and hold them on the beveled surface, from which they roll into the tube E. The movements of the plunger up and down gather the washers on the said beveled surface, and as the washers are made concavecnveX they will not lie on the beveled surface, except as they fall thereupon with their concavo sides downward, for if their convex side is downward they will slide off' from the bevel, as the ledge is not high enough to retain them. Thus the washers are always conducted into the tube the proper side uppermost. The washers which slide off the bevel will be tumbled over, and iinally be caught on the incline the proper side np. The plunger C is very much like the plunger B, only its top edge is provided with agroove, instead of the bevel,for catching the nails and conveying them to the tube F. 'At the lower end of the said tubes E F is the mechanism for uniting the nails with the washers, described 4as follows:

G is a disk attached to the upper side of the lower end of the tube E, having a central spindle, g, upon which is placed a rotating disk, H. Through the disk G is made a hole,

.t', connecting with the tube E, and through the disk H is placed a funnel-shaped tube, I,

The one lE for the washers is made to alternately connect with the hole t in is fixed a retracting-spring, S,between the head g andthe disk H, which moves the disk in one direction. A. stop, p, is attached to the side of IOO the disk H,neXtto the said funnel l, which holds the lowest washer in place over a notch, 11 in the tubeEfor the nail to drop into the washer, which, however, releases said nail and Washer as soon as the disk is turned. Another stop, q, attached to the side of' the disk H, is provided, having a curved linger, which, as the disk moves around, enters the opening in the end corner of the tube and holds the row of `washers from sliding down until the return movement ofthe disk. The released nail and washer drop into the mouth of a tube, \V, which leadsto the button-fastening mechanism of a button-fastening machine. (Not shown.)

To the end of the nail-tube F is provided a like mechanism to that just: described, for re` leasing the nails one by one, and as the nails are released they drop into the funnel tube I, and from thence, as before described, are dropped into the holes in the Washers. A lever, T, at tached to the disk V, projects do\vuward,and is connected to the lever L by means ot'a pin, t, on lever L, playing in a slot in the end ot' said lever T.

rl`lic hopper A may be adapted to feed staples 0r tWoprOnged tasteners by making a thin longitudinal partition in the top groove of plunger C, across which the staples would straddle and slidedown into thetuhe F,vvhich should also have a continuation of said thin partition ruiming along its slot; or the tube might be dispensed with and the staples may travel down an inclined strip.

From the foregoing the operation of this device is as follows: The nails and washers are placed promiscuously in their respective sides of the hopper. from whence the plungcrs pick them up, arrange them in proper position, and start them on thci r travels down their respective tubes. At the lower ends of` the said tubes the nails are united and dropped into the conveying tube ofthebutton-liistening machine ready for usein such machine for securing buttons onto shoes.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

l. The combination ofahopper, as A, having a central partition, and plungcrs l C, playing through slots in bottom of said hopper and in guides underneath, the plunger B having inclined and beveled top edge with narrow ledge, andthe plunger C havi ng inclined and groevcd top edge, said pluugers being adapted to catch and deliver the washers and nails to the feedingtubes E F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the tube E, ofthe deliveringr mechanism, consisting of a disk, G, having the central spindle, g, and a hole, i', communicating with the tube E, the moving disk H, fixed to turn on said spindle and having the fuimel-tube l, alternately communicating with the said hole z', also provided with the stops p q, and having the spring B and lever L, by means of which said mechanism is adapted to receive the nail, drop it into the washer, and deliver them unitedly into the receiving-tube \V, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with hopper A, ofthe plunger t), having inclined and grooved top, a slotted tube, F, leading from said plunger and provided at its lower end with a dropping mechanism, consisting ofl a disk, V, turning 

